Lock for clotheslines



July 28, 1953 P. TAPEFiNoux LocK FOR CLOTHESLINBS' Filed May 2, 1951" //VV/VTO/P PAUL TAPER/VOUX Patented July 28, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LooK FOR CLOTHESLINES Paul Tapernoux, Lynbrook, N. Y. Application May 2, 1951, Serial No. 224,119

3 Claims. (01. 24-434) This invention relates to a clothesline lock of the type used for connecting the ends of clotheslines.

The invention is applicable to clotheslines which are looped around two spaced pulleys and it is also applicable to fixed clotheslines. Although the application is directed specifically to clotheslines, it will be understood that the looking device herein described and claimed may be employed in other fields as well as, for example, in relation to nautical lines and ropes. For purposes solely of clarity and convenience, however, the present invention will be described solely in its application to clotheslines but it will be understood that this is intended to be merely illustrative and not limitative of the invention.

The principal object of this invention is the provision of a clothesline lock to which one end of a clothesline may be fixedly secured and to which the opposite end of a clothesline may be adjustably secured. There are other clothesline locks of this general character but they all appear to operate on a cam-lock or jam-lock or wedge-lock principle. It is not denied that some of them perform fairly well but in virtually every case there is some disadvantage or defect which the present invention completely eliminates. In some cases, performance is quite satisfactory but the cost of manufacturing is much too high. In other cases the cost of manufacture is relatively low but performance is unsatisfactory. In some cases there is excessive slippage and in other cases it is awkward and even difficult to properly operate or actuate the look. In some cases it is relatively easy to lock the clothesline in the look but it is relatively difficult to unlock the clothesline therefrom; in other cases it is relatively easy to unlock the clothesline from the look but it is relatively difiicult to lock the clothesline into the lock.

The present invention comprises a clothesline lock which is made of relatively few parts which require relatively little in the way of the machining. There is only one movable part in the entire device and there is little or no likelihood that it can ever go out of order under conditions of normal use and normal abuse. This one solitary movable part is completely accessible so that it may be actuated either for looking or unlocking purposes without the slightest bit of difficulty or inconvenience. Once the clothesline is locked in said clothesline lock it remains locked until released by actuation of the movable-part. There is no slippage or tendency toward slippage and it is virtually immaterial what the crosssectional dimensions of the clothesline happen to be or what material the clothesline happens to be made of.

The principle upon which the present invention is based is threefold: In the first place, it involves a change in direction of the line or axis along which the clothesline extends. More specifically, the line of extension is interrupted and changed twice. Stated differently, the clothesline is looped around two spaced shoulders, both being transverse to the longitudinal axis of the clothesline. In the second place, the free end of the clothesline is clamped or pressed down upon a suitable support by means of a pressure bar which extends transversely both of the clothesline and of the support. In the third place, one of the shoulders around which the clothesline is looped constitutes a ribbed roller which is fixedly connected to the pressure bar. When the clothesline is pulled, as under the weight of clothes hanging thereon, it tends to turn the roller in such direction as to increase the force which the pressure bar exerts upon the free end of the clothesline. In other words, the stronger the pull upon the clothesline, the tighter is the clamping action of the pressure bar upon the clothesline.

The clothesline lock herein described and claimed may be threaded with a clothesline without any difiiculty whatsoever. All that need be done is to loop the clothesline around the two shoulders above mentioned and then to swing the pressure bar into engagement with the free end of the clothesline. Any pulling action upon the clothesline will tend to press the pressure bar tightly against said free end of the clothesline. The clothesline lock herein described and claimed may be made to release the clothesline by simply swinging the pressure bar in the opposite direction. This may be done by simply pulling upon the free end of the clothesline against the pressure bar. The operation both of locking and unlocking the clothesline is foolproof. 7

A preferred form of this invention is shown in the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a side view of a clothesline lock made in accordance with the present invention, showing one end of the clothesline fixedly secured thereto and showing the opposite end during the process of threading it through said clothesline lock.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through said clothesline lock showing the locking bar in locked position relative to the clothesline.

Fig. 3 is a top view of said clothesline look, also showing it in locked position relative to the clothesline.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view through the clothesline on the line 44 of Fig. 2 and it is an end view of said clothesline lock looking in the direction of the arrows in Fig. 2 and showing said lock in locked position.

The clothesline locking device It shown in the drawing has a casing of inverted U-shape and it is this casing which carries the locking means above mentioned. The casing may be stamped and formed out of a single blank of sheet metal. It has a pair of side walls I2 and I4 respectively and a top wall 16 with which said side walls are integral. It will be seen in Figs. 1 and 2 that the side walls are substantially rectangular in shape and it will be seen in Fig. 3 that the top wall is also substantially rectangular in shape. It will also be seen, however, that the top wall is shorter than the side walls and while it is flush at one end with the corresponding ends of the side walls, it falls short of the opposite ends of the side walls. Hence the corners of the side walls where the top wall falls short are broken away and curved to meet the short end of said top wall. All of the other corners may, if desired, be broken away and rounded so as to avoid or prevent injury to the person using the device. The dimensions of the top and side walls are not critical but the drawing is prepared to substantially actual scale. The device may be larger or smaller, as desired.

A pin i3 is riveted to the side walls of the easing, transversely thereof, as Figs. 2 and 3 clearly show. One end 20 of a clothesline may be looped around pin l8 and tied in the form of a lrnot 22 in order to secure that end of the clothesline to the locking device. This, however, is conventional. The present invention is concerned principally with the opposite end 24 of the clothesline and with the opposite end of the loo:- ing device.

A pin 25 of what may be described as C-shape extends through the walls of the casing, transversely thereof, at the opposite end of the casing from the end to which pin 18 is riveted. Pin 25 has a transverse portion 28a, a longitudinal portion 26b integral with said transverse portion, a second transverse portion 260 which is integral with the opposite end of said longitudi nal portion 26b, and a short longitudinal portion 280! which is integral with the opposite end of transverse portion 260. In other words, one end of horizontal portion 26a is free and the opposite end is integral with one end of longitudinal portion 26b. The opposite end of said longitudinal portion is integral with one end of transverse portion 260. The opposite end of transverse portion 250 is integral with one end of short longitudinal portion 26 1.. The opposite end of said short longitudinal portion is free. All four portions of the C-shaped pin. namely the two transverse portions and the two longitudinal portions, lie in a common plane.

Transverse portion 260 is the locking bar or pressure bar to which reference has above been made. Transverse portion 26a is the pivotal portion by means of which the pressure bar is enabled to pivot on and relative to the casing. Longitudinal portion 26b is, of course, the link between the pressure bar 250 and the pivotal pin 25a. Longitudinal portion 2803 is simply an end piece which serves as a stop member to prevent the clothesline from slipping out from under the pressure bar.

Fixed to transverse portion 25a of pin 26 is a ribbed or corrugated or fluted roller 39. This roller is mounted between the two side walls of the casing and since it is fixed to pin 25, it prevents dislodgment of said pin from said casing. The ribs or corrugations parallel each other and they extend in parallel relationship to the longitudinal axis of the roller. Hence they extend transversely of the casing as Figs. 2 and 4 clearly show. The manner in which the roller is fixed to pin 26 is immaterial. If a press fit is suflicient then it may be fixed in that way with no further provision for preventing relative movement between the roller and the pin on which it is mounted. If a press fit is deemed inadequate for the purpose, then other means may be employed to securely fasten the roller to pin 28, for example, it may be pinned thereto.

Since the roller and the C-shaped pin are firin- 1y secured to each other, they move integrally with each other. When the roller turns, the C.- shaped pin turns with it and when the C-shaped pin is swung angularly from one position to another, say from its position in Fig. 1 to its position in Fig. 2 or from its position in to to its position in Fig. 1, the roller turns integrally with it, in either direction.

The end 24 of the clothesline may be secured to the locking device in the manner following: It should be looped around the roller in the manner shown in Fig. 1 so as to bring it back to substantially parallel relation to the main part of the clothesline. The pressure bar 250 is disposed between the clothesline proper and end 24 thereof. Said end 2 may then be pulled until the clothesline is as taut as desired. It is then looped baekwardly and over the top wall it of the casing. The pressure bar 250 is swung into its Fig. 2 position from its 1 po sition until its rests upon the end or" the clothesline. Since the clothesline is now taut, it exerts a pulling force in the direction of arrow 32 in Fig. 2 and tends to turn the roller in counter-clockwise direction. Since the roller is fixed to the C-shaped pin and hence to pressure bar 25c of said C-shaped pin, the C-shaped pin is similarly urged to swing in the same direction and the pressure bar is compelled to exert a downward force upon the end of the clothes line, pressing it hard against the top wall of the casing. See Fig. 4 where the end of the clothesline is shown to be flattened under the pressure of the pressure bar.

To disengage end 2t of the clothesline from the locking device, all that is necessary is to swing the pressure bar in clockwise direction from its position in Fig. 2 to its position in 1. This may be done very quickly and easily by simply grasping the end of the clothesline and pulling it from its Fig. 2 position to its 1 position. This would have the efiect of swinging the pressure bar over to its inoperative position shown in Fig. 1. It may be found desirable to provide a small prominence 34 on the outside of side wall M to engage the longitudinal portion 26b of the C-shaped pin when it is in its operative position shown in Figs. 2 and 3. This will prevent accidental dislodgment of said 0- shaped pin from its said operative position when the clothesline is loose and fails to exert a pulling force sufiicient to keep the C-shaped pin in its operative position. This prominence is, however, optional and it may be employed in the which is integral with said side wall and which 1 occupies a plane to which said side walls are substantially perpendicular, a pin fixed to said side walls transversely thereof and below said top wall at one end of said casing, said pin being adapted to hold one end of a clothesline which is tied thereto, a second pin rotatably connected to said side walls, transversely thereof and below said top Wall at the opposite end of said casing, said top wall being shorter at said oppo site end of the casing than the side walls, a ribbed roller fixedly and concentrically secured to said rotatably mounted pin between said two side walls so as to turn integrally with said rotatably mounted pin, the sides of said ribbed roller bearing against the inner sides of said side walls to prevent axial displacement of said rotatably mounted pin, and a pressure bar which is connected in parallel relation to said rotatably mounted pin for integral movement therewith, said pressure bar being spaced from said rotatably mounted pin a sufiicient distance to enable said pressure bar to swing above said top wall of the casing, said ribbed roller being spaced a sufiicient distance below said top wall of the casing to allow the opposite end of the clothesline to enter between said ribbed roller and said top wall of the casing, said pressure bar being spaced a sufiicient distance above the top wall to enable said opposite end of the clothesline to enter between said pressure bar and said top wall after looping around the short end of said top wall from between said top wall and said ribbed roller to between said top wall and said pressure bar, whereby any pulling force upon said opposite end of the clothesline to free it from engagement with the ribbed roller and the ressure bar causes said ribbed roller to turn in such direction as causes the pressure bar to press tightly against the clothesline and to press said clothesline tightly against the top wall of the casing, said clothesline being thereby also pulled taut against said short end of the top wall of the casing to frictionally lock against said short end of said top wall and thereby further to re- .ist such pulling force to free the clothesline from the ribbed roller and the pressure bar.

A loci; for clotheslines and the like in accordance with claim 1, wherein the pressure bar and the pivotally mounted pin are integrally connected to each other by means of a connecting bar which is perpendicular both to the pressure bar and to the rotatably mounted pin, said connecting bar being integral at one end with one end of the pressure bar and being integral at its opposite end with the corresponding end of the rotatably mounted pin.

3. A lock for clotheslines and the like in accordance with claim 1, wherein the pressure bar is connected to the rotatably mounted pin by means of a connecting bar which is integral with one end of the pressure bar and the corresponding end of the rotatably mounted pin, the opposite end of the pressure bar being bent over at right angles thereto in the direction of the rotatably mounted pin and into parallel relation to the connecting bar.

PAUL TAPERNOUX.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 297,509 Dorenus Apr. 22, 1884 1,645,336 Alfano Oct. 18, 1927 2,471,503 Ward May 31, 1949 2,598,759 Jones May 23, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 320,634 France Dec. 16, 1902 344,328 Germany Nov. 18, 1921 

